The Revell 1/72 U-boat kit has been out a while and is a wonderful kit. Coming from Germany, one of its foibles is that the flag has no swastika due to the laws. There have been several replacements but very little else in the markings arena for the actual kit. Eduard to the rescue with its colorized photoetch. This set contains fourteen different flags for the U-boat including:

• Two German National flags in different styles with the swastikas
• Three merchant pennants with different tonnages
• Two merchant tanker pennants with tonnage
• One pennant depicting an aircraft shot down
• Five Square rank flags
  • Grand Admirals Flag
  • Admirals Flag
  • Vice Admirals Flag
  • Rear Admirals Flag
  • General Admirals Flag
• An Admirals car pennant

The set is colored on both sides and use is simple. Each flag/pennant has two rings on the attachment end. Bend them perpendicular to the flag run a line or flag pole through the openings. Glue as needed.

One thing I wanted to try was bending the flags. If you look at most U-boats, the flags were rarely out straight. They were blowing in the wind or hanging limp. I threaded a line through the flag and bent it into a wave. Hindsight, don’t attach it to the flagpole until after bent- note to self! The flag is nice and thin and bent well. I worked it around further and took pictures. There was no cracking or loss of coasting and the flag looks way better than the kits paper flag (without swastika).

These are very much recommended. They are historically accurate and offer up possibilities of doing the U-boats returning from a sortie with flags ort their kills or a dock diorama as they return with the Admirals to greet them.

My thanks to Eduard and to IPMS/USA for the opportunity to review this excellent offering.